Glutathione is the most important antioxidant in the body and is vital for health but what exactly does it do? Read on to find out more.

What is Glutathione?

Glutathione is a tri-peptide that is made up of gamma-glutamic acid, cysteine, and glycine, and is also known as gamma-glutamylcysteinelglycine or GSH. Glutathione is a substance that is found in every cell of the body, and has been called the master antioxidant. It is such an important antioxidant as it is actually within the body’s cells and it also regulates the actions of lesser antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. if the levels of glutathione are too low in the body, other antioxidants are unable to do their job.

Glutathione is the regulator and regenerator of immune cells and it is the most valuable detoxifying agent in the body. It is important in DNA synthesis and repair, protein and prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, detoxification of toxins and carcinogens, enhancement of the immune system, and protection from oxidation and enzyme activations. Glutathione has strong antiviral properties. If there are higher levels of glutathione in the tissues and serum, then the replication of most pathogens are stopped. Conversely, if the levels of glutathione are low, then conditions become much more favourable for viruses.

Food Sources of Glutathione and Supplementation

Glutathione may not be well absorbed into the body when taken by mouth, and one option is to take it by vein. However, it is more practical to take the precursors to glutathione – the substances that the body needs to make glutathione.

Food sources of the precursors – cysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid include:

• poultry
• wheat
• broccoli
• eggs
• garlic
• onion
• capsicum
• meat
• fish
• dairy products
• beans
• fruits
• vegetables
• asparagus
• avocado
• walnuts